The loss of Russian energy is only harming smaller bloc members like Slovakia, the country’s officials told RT
The turning off of Russian gas transit by pipeline through Ukraine was a politically-motivated decision made by Vladimir Zelensky in order to please the West, Slovak politicians have told RT.
A delegation led by Andrej Danko and Tibor Gaspar, deputy speakers of Slovakia’s National Council, arrived in Moscow on Tuesday. They are expected to meet lawmakers and government officials in the Russian capital to discuss trade and gas supplies in the wake of Ukraine’s denial of transit.
Kiev decided to terminate the transit of Russian natural gas through its territory to the EU on the last day of 2024, effectively cutting off the flow to some countries in the bloc, in particular Austria, Italy, and Slovakia. The move has sparked a row in Brussels, with the Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico warning that he would veto EU-wide initiatives on assisting Ukraine, and would also take individual action against Kiev.
The issue is serious and “detrimental” not only to Slovakia but also to other EU member states, with Kiev itself losing a billion euros in transit fees, Gaspar stated.
“We see this as a purely political decision that will not harm Russia, but it will harm the economies of member states,” he argued.
Gaspar recalled that Fico on Monday sent an open letter to Zelensky inviting him to Slovakia for constructive discussions on the critical issue. “In response he received some words that were quite insulting,” Gaspar said, casting doubt that such manners were worthy of any country’s leader.
“We know very well that Zelensky is not a legitimate president,” Danko in turn pointed out, adding that the Ukrainian was simply following instructions from the West.
Zelensky claimed that by refusing to extend the gas contract with Russian energy giant Gazprom, Kiev was aiming to eliminate Moscow’s profits.
The major problem is that no one in the West really cares whether Slovakia will get any gas at all, according to Danko.
“Brussels is duplicitous in many cases, and that’s why I don’t believe this will be resolved,” the official argued.
The situation with Slovakia’s energy becomes increasingly expensive is beneficial for Germany and France, he said, because Bratislava has to borrow money from German banks.
“We are already buying expensive energy today, but we will not be able to do this indefinitely,” Danko said.
Currently, a cubic meter of gas in the EU costs four times more than in the US, according to Gaspar, who described it as “an abnormal situation.”
Overall, the EU’s “pointless” sanctions against Russia have actually been hurting the bloc’s member states, according to the Slovak officials.
